text:
Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products.
Uber has suffered another major setback in Europe. According to Reuters, a court in Germany ruled on Thursday that the company doesn't have the necessary license to operate a business that employs for-hire drivers.
In Germany and other parts of the European Union, Uber operates differently than it does in North America. Due to a 2017 decision by the EU's highest court, the company works exclusively with private hire vehicle (PHV) companies and their licensed drivers. Today's decision effectively bans the company from offering rides to people in the seven cities where Uber operates in Germany.
In addition to the license violation, the court found several issues with Uber's dispatching process, including the fact that drivers could accept a job within its app without their official employer first receiving it. Additionally, under German law hired cars are obligated to return to their firm's main office after dropping a passenger off.
"From a passenger's point of view, Uber provides the service itself and is therefore an entrepreneur," the court said, going on to add that Uber must comply with the country's passenger transport laws.
The German taxi association that brought the legal challenge against Uber said it plans to seek immediate provisional enforcement of the ban. Uber could pay fines as high as €250,000 per ride if it doesn't comply with the court's decision. The company can appeal the ruling, however.
"We will assess the court's ruling and determine next steps to ensure our services in Germany continue," a spokesperson for the company told TechCrunch. "Working with licensed PHV operators and their professional drivers, we are committed to being a true partner to German cities for the long term." We've reached out for additional comment and information, and we'll update this article when the company responds.
This latest court decision caps off a rough end of the year for Uber. In late November, London declined to issue the company a new license to operate in the city. Transport for London (TfL), the city's ride-hailing regulator, said it identified "a pattern of failures" when it came to Uber's safety track record. Both decisions come at a time when Uber can't afford to lose large markets. In its first post-IPO earnings report, the company said it had a net loss of $1.1 billion.


text:
The Orange T-Mobile joint venture Everything Everywhere has reported record smartphone sales in the second quarter, although its customer base dropped slightly.
The company said that as much as 85 per cent of new contract customers had opted for a smartphone. The figure was up from 84 per cent in the first quarter and 64 per cent a year earlier.
Everything Everywhere, the largest mobile phone operator in the UK, said that its revenue from mobile services increased by 2 per cent year-on-year. The company also claimed it had added 236,000 new customers during the quarter.
The company reported that around 1.2 million pre-paid customers had defected while it had added 880,000 contract customers.
“The first half of 2011 was a period of good progress for Everything Everywhere. Leveraging our unique strengths and market leadership, we are delivering on our strategic plan set out in September 2010 and are ahead of plan with our synergy capture,” said Tom Alexander, CEO of Everything Everywhere.
“We are investing in building the best network experience for our customers and in creating platforms for growth,” he continued. Alexander had earlier announced his departure from the company but remained positive about its future growth.

domain: news


text:
Woolworths Group Finally Announce Which Big W Stores Will Close
The first Big W locations which are set to close as part of the department store's cost-saving strategy have been chosen.
Sydney stores Chullora, Auburn and Fairfield will close their doors in January 2020, Woolworths Group confirmed on Thursday.
The stores will continue trading for the next six months.
“These are not decisions we take lightly and we regret the impact the closures will have on affected team members,” David Walker, Managing Director of BIG W, said in a statement.
“We would like to acknowledge the support of the communities of Chullora, Auburn and Fairfield and the hard work and commitment of our store team members.”
“Over the next six months, we will support our team and explore redeployment opportunities with team members who choose to continue their career at BIG W or with other Woolworths Group brands in the months ahead.”
In April, Big W announced its intention to close up to 30 stores and two distribution centres over the next three years.
The move was a bid to build a more profitable and sustainable store and distribution network, the discount retailer said.
READ MORE: Big W To Shut Down All Optical Practices
Competition from international and online retailers has contributed to the demise of department stores across the retail sector, putting hundreds of jobs on the line.
Big W said it will continue to work with landlords in the coming months before deciding which of the remaining 27 stores will shut up shop.
Just weeks after the initial shake-up's announcement, the company also decided to close all 41 of its Big W Optical stores by the end of June.
The decision affected 175 employees across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, including optometrists, managers, dispensers and sales staff.


text:
The China president and global executive vice president of pharmaceutical behemoth AstraZeneca reportedly vowed that the company would be patriotic in China and “love” the country’s governing communist party.
In 2020, the company received $1.2 billion from American taxpayers for the development of its COVID-19 vaccine, which generated $4 billion in sales in 2021.
“Build a local, transnational company that loves the Communist Party and loves the country,” Wang reportedly said.
Weng Lei made the remarks during a Friday presentation to several hundred people at an event commemorating AstraZeneca’s thirty years of business in China.
AstraZeneca, the largest drug manufacturer in China, generated 13% of its revenues in China in 2022 and recently invested $450 million in an inhaler facility in China.
AstraZeneca declined to elucidate whether senior management had authorized Lei’s quotes and refused to comment on the implications of his remarks for the company’s plans in the country.


text:
Microsoft starts rolling out new cumulative updates for Windows 10 which come with only a few fixes and performance improvements. In addition, the latest bunch of updates do not include any security fixes which is usually the case with those released on patch Tuesday.
It’s also worth noting that these cumulative updates aren’t meant for the latest Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709), as they’re designed for earlier versions of the OS.
For instance, cumulative update KB4049370 is for Windows 10 Creators Update version 1703, cumulative update KB4052231 is designed for Windows 10 Anniversary Update version 1607, while cumulative update KB4052232 is aimed at Windows 10 November Update version 1511.
Readers are also reminded that each of these updates bumps your Windows 10 version to 15063.675, 14393.1797, and 10586.1177, respectively.
Not to mention, the new batch of cumulative updates fix only a handful of bugs. For instance, cumulative update KB4049370 only fixes an issue caused by an earlier cumulative update KB4038788 for Windows 10.
Microsoft explains that it’s aware of the issue that led to a black screen on Surface Laptop after installing the aforementioned cumulative update as users had to hold the power button for a long time to restore normal functionality. However, cumulative update KB4049370 fixes that issue.
Elsewhere, cumulative updates KB4052231 and KB4052232 also include just a bug fix. Microsoft in its release notes explained that an issue has been fixed that where applications based on Microsoft JET Database engine ‘fail when creating or opening Excel files in .xls format.
However, Microsoft also notes there are known issues which each of the three new cumulative updates. The company says languages such as Arabic and Czech might automatically get translated into English for the Edge browser and other apps. The company says its aware of the above-mentioned issue and a fix for the same should likely arrive in the next cumulative update. For more information, visit Microsoft’s official support page.


text:
KUALA LUMPUR (July 23): A consumer group today described the decision by the Ministry of Health to ban the sale of tobacco and smoking products to people born from 2005 onwards, in a so-called end-of-year decision. generational part (GEG), as a mistake and an oversimplified approach.
In a statement today, the Harm Awareness Association (HAA) said the vision behind the Tobacco and Tobacco Control Bill ignores the fact that different reduced-risk products do not all have the same impact. and the same risks as conventional products.
HAA said the inability to distinguish between products will also hurt the ministry’s plans to reduce illegal cigarettes, as demand for illicit black market products will increase, including other tobacco and vaping products among people looking to get their nicotine patches.
“Representing the voice of consumers in Malaysia, the Harm Awareness Association is of the view that the principle of implementing the GEG is wrong and that it is a simplistic approach by bundling cigarettes, vapes and d other tobacco products in a single category.
“It is known that smoking prevalence in Malaysia continues to remain high at 21.3% as reported in the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019. Indeed, there is a lack of enforcement and resources to stifling the illicit cigarette market and a lack of measures that effectively address demand and supply gaps as well as a lack of recognition of other less harmful alternatives that can reduce smoking prevalence despite the large cohort of over one million vaping users,” said Aziaan Ariffin, President of the HAA.
He added that introducing a new policy to ban all tobacco and vaping products would also overwhelm enforcement agencies who are already concerned about a still-thriving black market.
He said these existing problems need to be addressed before new policies are introduced.
“If Malaysia proceeds with GEG and fails to distinguish between combustible cigarettes and other less harmful non-combustible products, it will lead to several unintended beneficiaries, including costing the government billions of dollars more every year in taxes evaded due to the growth of the huge illicit market, and there will be more illicit alternative products such as unregulated vape juice, liquid nicotine and contraband devices, which do not follow good manufacturing practices added Aziaan.
He warned that illicit and contraband e-cigarette liquids and devices could also have greater health consequences for users who are willing to risk their safety for cheaper options, if the bill passes.
“Implementing a blind policy that treats cigarettes, vape and other tobacco products equally also means that the Malaysian government is ignoring the rights of consumers to make informed decisions about their consumption of less risky products. “, did he declare.
He said Putrajaya must also consider the huge implications of the planned ban, which goes beyond the number of illicit cigarettes sold.
“The proceeds of these illegal cigarettes have been reported to fuel organized crime, nefarious activities as well as international smuggling and the black market of other goods,” he added.
Aziaan proposed four measures to the government on the bill and the GEG, firstly, calling for a detailed study to develop a proper roadmap towards the ban.
He said New Zealand had conducted a similar phased study to reach out to industry and public opinion and that this could be done through government-to-government collaboration for knowledge exchange and opportunities.
“Exhaust all tobacco control measures, including the establishment of an effective, multi-agency current tobacco law enforcement team to combat black markets” Consult with other relevant government agencies such as Miti EPU , MoF, KPDNHEP and others the impact and potential social and economic consequences of the GEG. To carry out a proper and independent review of all scientific studies and research on alternatives to smoking as a complementary measure to reduce the prevalence of smoking towards achieving the vision of the GEG,” he said in his list of suggestions. .
Miti refers to the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, EPU refers to the Economic Planning Unit, MoF refers to the Ministry of Finance, and KPDNHEP refers to the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs.
Last week, the New Straits Times (NST) reported that Health Minister Khairy said the bill had been approved by Cabinet on July 13.
He reportedly said the bill would be tabled at the current parliamentary meeting.
The proposed bill essentially prevents people born on January 1, 2005 and beyond from buying tobacco and tobacco-related products, even when they reach 18 or the current legal drinking age. . – Malaysian Mail


text:
Target chairman and CEO Brian Cornell unveiled a wide-ranging growth strategy.
Valeant Pharmaceuticals bolsters GI franchise in a $14.5 billion deal to acquire Salix Pharmaceuticals.
Walmart will invest $1 billion in employee base in an effort to improve the customer experience.
Fred's Super Dollar earlier this week reported $138.8 million in January sales, up 3%.
McKesson on Thursday reported that revenues for the third quarter ended Dec. 31, 2014 totaled $47 billion, up 37% compared to $34.3 billion a year ago.
Beauty brand Coty posted a boost in second-quarter net income and saw renewed strength in such core brands as Sally Hansen and Rimmel.
Rite Aid reported a 4.8% increase in same-store sales benefiting in part from a strong flu season to date.
Cardinal Health reported fiscal year 2015 second-quarter revenue of $25.5 billion.
AmerisourceBergen on Wednesday reported that in its fiscal year 2015 first quarter ended Dec. 31, 2014, revenue increased 15.1% to $33.6 billion in the quarter.
Family Dollar's second-largest shareholder Trian Fund Management cut its stake in the company by more than two-thirds to 2.07%.


text:
Over the last 14 years, from the era of MAIT with its path-breaking report recommending a semiconductor vision for India to my years at MAIT, I have lived a dream – of India having its own electronics manufacturing industry and its own semiconductor manufacturing industry. It is a dream which I have shared with a number of industry leaders and thought leaders in the government – encountered many naysayers and few who believed in India’s capacity to have its own electronics manufacturing.
Today, as PM Modi ji’s path-breaking visit to USA starts a new chapter in US-India relationship, we see a number of big-ticket semiconductor projects getting announced. I will analyze these projects in the posts that follow – and bring out a number of other projects/ factors are shaping the landscape in a decisive way in this post.
- India’s Electronics Manufacturing is now a reality. With over 1800 SMT lines operational in India, India electronics exports have crossed $25bln last year, a growth of 49% YoY and are surpassing the traditional commodity exports.
- With the end-product electronics system integration in India, indigenization of upstream supply-chain/ components is the next logical step. It is captured decisively by MEITY’s SPECS program which is shifting the base for this milestone.
- Geopolitics apart, India’s strength as a competitive and talented workforce pool is building traction even as we improve our Ease-of-Business processes ( and global ranking – big thanks to Govt leadership).
- Initial successes are a reality:
- SCL is a success. Semiconductor Labs Chandigarh has done over 150 chip tapeouts and operates like a mini-IDM as it designs, fabricates the processed wafer (dies) and then converts the dies to devices in its inhouse packaging unit. It has shown that India can do the semiconductor manufacturing ( a naysayer myth as India is doing advanced technologies like space and nuclear already).
- Sahasra Semiconductors has started commercial production at the first Indian Semiconductor Packaging project in Bhiwadi.
Compound Semiconductor Manufacturing
- Visicon/ Silicon Power-USA has a project for SiC wafers in Gujarat. The phase 1 will do epi-coating – factory is ready ,tool move-in completed and the FAT (Factory acceptance test) should be completed in another 4 months before the start of commercial production. Epi-coating of SiC wafer is a complex process that requires handling of capricious process conditions to prepare wafers which do not have pin-holes and warping. Phase 2 will be device making and Phase 3 will be semiconductor packaging. Fact is SiC wafers are a product in short supply and will sell itself in the global markets.
- Apart from this GEECI at IISc Bangalore and SCL Chandigarh have a GaN /GaAs project that will shape out later this year.
Semiconductor R&D Engineering
- Companies like Applied Materials are leading the way with breakthrough $240 mln announcement of their India facilities in ’22. Over 1500 people are already hired, phase 1 executed and exciting phase 2 creation is in progress.
- While the semiconductor supply-chain is very demanding and takes time to qualify, it is heartening to note of Indian suppliers graduating as suppliers of inputs to companies like Applied Materials.
- While leading supply-chain companies are already present in India, the enablement of India fab is expected to trigger a whole host of collaborations and industry options.
Happy to share that leading associations like IESA and ELCINA are doing their bit to enable the ecosystem. Particularly excited about ELCINA -SEMI relationship which is bring a global network to India for enabling the manufacturing ecosystem.
It has been a long night but now the dawn of the Indian semiconductor sector is going to happen!


text:
Motorola announced amazing offers and best deals on an array of their recently launched smartphones for Flipkart Big Saving Days Sale starting from 20th January 2021 to 24th January 2021 with early access starting from 19th Jan for Flipkart plus members.
During the sale period, the most loved & awarded products of 2020 like moto g 5G – India’s Truly 5G ready smartphone with Snapdragon 750G and the moto g9 power with a 6000 mAh battery & 64MP triple camera will also be available under exciting offers.
moto g 5G will be available at Rs. 17,999 with 10% instant discount on HDFC Bank Cards & EMI Transactions
As you start the new year, it is time to upgrade the tech packed with high-end innovation, long lasting batteries and extraordinary features that are exclusively available at affordable prices during the sale period under multiple, not be to missed deals on Flipkart.


text:
E-cigarette manufacturer Juul Labs Inc. plans to lay off staff after the beleaguered company cancels a planned expansion outside the U.S., according to a report.
People familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal on Thursday that the vaping company is working to explore longer-tern options after buying some time through refinancing its secured debt.
The company has about 1,200 workers, including 100 outside the U.S, down from about 3,000 in 2019.
Juul has been embroiled in a dispute with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which tried to ban the leading e-cigarette maker’s products earlier this summer over questions about its potential health risks. But the agency has been forced to put that effort on hold following a court challenge.
Due to the dispute, Juul is preparing for a possible bankruptcy filing and is exploring restructuring options, the paper reported.
Last month, Juul agreed to pay nearly $440 million to settle a two-year investigation by 33 states into the marketing of its high-nicotine vaping products.
The settlement, which includes numerous restrictions on how Juul can market its products, resolves one of the biggest legal threats facing the beleaguered company, which still faces nine separate lawsuits from other states.
Additionally, Juul faces hundreds of personal lawsuits brought on behalf of teenagers and others who say they became addicted to the company’s vaping products.


text:
The Trump management has pledged to levy price lists of as much as 35 p.c on cars imported from Mexico and most likely in different places, essentially to prod automakers to extend manufacturing and jobs in the USA.
In reaction, all 3 of the Detroit firms have introduced plans for brand new investments of their American operations. Ford went a step additional by way of canceling plans to construct a $1.6 billion plant in Mexico that have been criticized many times by way of Mr. Trump.
But the opportunity of price lists on vans overshadows the give-and-take up to now between a brand new president decided to enlarge the American economic system and automakers that rely on pickups as an enormous supply of source of revenue.
“There’s an terrible lot at stake with a border tax on vans,” mentioned Michelle Krebs, an analyst with Autotrader.com, a car-buying website. “Those are the money cows for Detroit.”
Pickup gross sales were the most important part of the constant enlargement of the American auto marketplace, which ultimate 12 months set a report with just about 17.five million cars offered.
The mix of low fuel costs and a necessity by way of companies to exchange older vans has stimulated call for, particularly for full-size pickups, greater than 90 p.c of that are made by way of the 3 Detroit firms.
In January, the 3 top-selling cars within the country have been pickups: the Ford F-150, G.M.’s Chevrolet Silverado, and Fiat Chrysler’s Ram style. The corporations earn an estimated $eight,000 to $10,000 in benefit on every truck offered — when put next with $three,000 on a passenger automobile — so Detroit’s monetary fortunes inevitably upward thrust and fall at the luck in their truck merchandise.
But for G.M. and Fiat Chrysler, a lot of that luck relies on truck manufacturing in Mexico, the place…


text:
Burger King Just Submitted To Islamic Law In A DISGUSTING Way
December 17, 2015 1:34pm PST
It’s no secret that France is currently being taken over by Muslims, but now Burger King is helping this process along by submitting to Shariah Law in a truly disgusting way.
According to Conservative Tribune, the fast food chain has just engulfed 400 Quick chain outlets in France as part of a recent business deal. They have just announced that they are keeping the Quick brand on 40 restaurants, and that these restaurants will serve 100 percent halal meat.
Yes, this means that bacon and chicken will no longer be served at all at these Burger King locations.
It’s sickening that Burger King is submitting to Islam in France despite the Muslim terrorist attack last month that left 130 people dead. They are basically giving the radicals who carried out that attack exactly what they wanted by helping France become a Muslim nation.
SHARE this story if you would like to join the international boycott of Burger King. Support Christians in France!
You may also like to read:
- Obama Makes Sickening Announcement About Islam In America
- What Obama Just Spent $21 Million Of Our Tax Dollars On Will Make You SICK
- Kenya Turns On Obama – Drops Bombshell On Him He Never Saw Coming
- White House Panicked After Obama Is Caught Doing THIS…
- Obama’s ‘Refugees’ Pull Up To Woman At KFC – What They Do Next Left Her Near Death


text:
Miami Beach, FL--It's here! CENTURION SOUTH BEACH opens October 18 and runs through October 21 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, HALL D, co-located with the JIS Show. CENTURION SOUTH BEACH is THE buying show to visit this fall, offering more than 100 better designers, manufacturers and service companies. A special highlight is more than 15 Forevermark Suppliers in a special section and a strong Italian Exhibitor section, plus many of Centurion Scottsdale's top exhibitors. There's a Cocktail Party on the show floor on Thursday, October 18 from 6-8 PM, during which time all booths will be open. Complimentary Lunch will be available to CENTURION SOUTH BEACH pre-registered buyers on October 19, 20 and 21 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). And the co-location with JIS brings North America's second-largest trade show side by side with CENTURION SOUTH BEACH, and adds vastly to the selection of products available for your upcoming season.
Click here to access the CENTURION SOUTH BEACH Show Guide, which also presents a complete section detailing Centurion's Jewelry Ecomm Live! Full Day of Digital Training on Monday, October 22, 2018. It includes all 18 sessions and the 20+ expert speakers who will be on hand at Jewelry EComm LIVE!, the jewelry industry's e-commerce conference. The conference is taking place at ELV (Emanuel Luxury Venue) right across the street from the Miami Beach Convention Center at 1723 Washington Avenue. The Show Guide details all classes and speakers and their bios. Below is a quick rundown of the sessions we have in store for you as an attendee (the event is open to all industry members; Retail Jewelers must attend one day of Centurion South Beach in order to attend Jewelry EComm LIVE!):
Jewelry Ecomm Live! includes Breakfast and Lunch for all attendees and is being offered at $100 off the published rate of $199 when you create your FREE account at https://jewelryecomm.com/, the industry's FREE, 24/7 website for digital and e-commerce learning and information, also brought to you by CENTURION. It's one of the industry's fastest growing web sites and information resources, with more than 800 members already signed up since its launch earlier this year.


text:
Today: Netflix (NFLX) rides “House of Cards” to a second straight quarter of more than 2 million additional subscribers, pushing stock above $200 for first time in more than a year. Also: Apple (AAPL) rebounds slightly ahead of an earnings report that could have a number of different results, while Microsoft helps Wall Street move higher.
Netflix stock skyrockets after report shows subscriber growth
Netflix managed to easily eclipse analysts’ profits expectations while pushing its subscriber total higher in the first quarter of 2013, as the debut of the political thriller “House of Cards” pushed the Los Gatos company to growth. Investors reacted to Monday’s earnings report enthusiastically, catapulting the stock above $200 a share for the first time in more than a year.
Netflix reported profits of 5 cents a share, but that total shot up to 31 cents a share when taking out debt repayments; analysts on average had expected profits minus those costs to come in at 19 cents a share, according to Thomson Reuters. Revenues were in line with expectations at $1.02 billion, the first time Netflix has reported net revenues of more than $1 billion for a three-month period.
Most important for investors and analysts, Netflix reported a gain of 3 million subscribers, with 2 million in the United States joining the service and 1 million new international subscribers. While some observers expected subscribers to take the company up on its offer of a free month just to watch Kevin Spacey star in “House of Cards,” then cancel before paying a fee, Netflix said only 8,000 customers pulled that trick.
“The launch of ‘House of Cards’ provided a halo effect on our entire service,” CEO Reed Hastings and Chief Financial Officer David Wells said in the company’s announcement.
After failing to live up to subscriber-growth projections in the first three quarters of 2012, which severely damaged the company’s stock price, Netflix has now added slightly more than 2 million domestic subscribers in each of the last two quarters, leading to more than 29 million domestic subscribers to its streaming service and more than 36 million worldwide.
That performance led to shares exploding to levels not seen in more than a year: In late trading Tuesday, Netflix stock closed with a 6.7 percent gain at $174.37, then prices shot up as high as $222 in after-hours action. The previous 52-week high on the stock was $197.62.
Those gains came on the back of Netflix’s already-successful 2013, beginning with its previous earnings report, which showed an unexpected profit. Shares took off after that report as well, leading to Netflix’s largest one-day gain, which only added to the boost Netflix received after its groundbreaking 2012 deal with Disney and investment from activist investor Carl Icahn. With the company’s continuing commitment to original programming leading to deals with DreamWorks for a children’s show and the producers of “The Matrix” for a science fiction offering, Netflix stock had the third-largest gain on the SV150 index in the first quarter. Netflix bulls believe that the current quarter has just as much to be excited about: The Eli Roth-helmed horror series “Hemlock Grove” debuted Friday and received more viewers in its first weekend than “House of Cards,” Netflix said Monday, and cult comedy “Arrested Development” is set to kick off its new season in May, while Facebook integration is kicking in.
Still, Netflix bears say investors are just setting themselves up for another fall similar to the one suffered after Hastings increased prices and damaged the company’s brand with some consumers. There is also the issue of developing competition: Amazon began airing more than a dozen pilots for possible new series in the past few days, former Netflix partner Starz is now fighting with the company for movie rights, and Hastings’ most-feared competitor, HBO Go, is hinting at future moves.
Netflix announced a plan to fight off competitors Monday: A new streaming option that will alow customers to stream on up to four different devices at once for $11.99 a month, $4 a month more than the current plan, which caps that number at two. That might be enough for some investors and analysts already concerned about users sharing Netflix accounts.
Netflix was the 25th largest Silicon Valley technology company in 2012, with revenues of $3.61 billion.
Apple rebounds slightly ahead of much anticipated report
The Netflix report was only a prelude to what has become the biggest earnings report out of Silicon Valley every quarter, Apple’s. The freshly crowned defending champion of the SV150 will report earnings Tuesday, and is expected by analysts and the company itself to report declining year-over-year profits for the first time in more than a decade.
Apple’s share price rebounded Monday after a severe beating last week, popping back above $400 for part of the session before closing with a 2.1 percent gain at $398.67. As can be expected one day before an important earnings release, there were a raft of analyst notes focused on Apple’s report, and they may have helped the stock price, as even the analysts who lowered their price targets but kept them well above the current trading level.
One notable exception was BGC analyst Colin Gillis, who actually boosted his price target on Apple from $500 to $550 and upgraded the stock from a hold to a buy.
“We are not saying that the challenges facing Apple as the tablet and smartphone markets evolve are going away … but it is possible that the pessimism surrounding the stock could lift as we approach the next product refresh cycle,” Gillis wrote.
Other analysts agreed that now might be the right time to buy Apple, but they are suggesting the dangerous Wall Street approach known as “catching a falling knife,” or attempting to time a purchase of a declining stock just as it ceases to be dangerous.
“The people who are brave enough to catch a falling knife properly, at the bottom of a decline like this, tend to be rewarded,” JMP Securities analyst Alex Gauna told Bloomberg News. “Those who try to catch it too early will lose a finger.”
Wall Street gains as Microsoft investment spurs increase
Apple’s rebound helped all three main Wall Street indexes advance Monday, though one of its oldest rivals had an even better day: Microsoft.
The Washington tech giant, already boosted by last week’s earnings report, gained 3.6 percent to close at $30.83 Monday after ValueAct announced it had plowed $2 billion into the company’s stock, which has barely budged in the past decade. Microsoft hit its highest point in seven months in Monday’s session and is up 16 percent in 2013.
Tech was a big winner in Monday’s session, with the Nasdaq leading the three large U.S. indexes with a 0.9 percent gain, and the newly refreshed SV150 rising the same amount. Zynga gained 1.3 percent after being the victim of a news release scam that claimed it was an acquisition target for Chinese Internet giant Baidu, while Yahoo (YHOO) gained 2.1 percent after releasing a new iOS app.
Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) gained 1 percent despite a damaging New York Times article that alleged the company sought the outright resignation of Ray Lane when he merely stepped down as chairman of the Palo Alto tech giant but remained a director. Google (GOOG) traded flat after being fined by Germany for its Street View malfeasance, while eBay (EBAY) dropped 1.5 percent while asking customers to fight attempts in Congress for a national online sales tax.
Silicon Valley tech stocks
The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index: Up 27.49, or 0.86 percent, to 3,233.55
The blue chip Dow Jones industrial average: Up 19.66, or 0.14 percent, to 14,567.17
And the widely watched Standard & Poor’s 500 index: Up 7.25, or 0.47 percent, to 1,562.5
Check in weekday afternoons for the 60-Second Business Break, a summary of news from Mercury News staff writers, The Associated Press, Bloomberg News and other wire services. Contact Jeremy C. Owens at 408-920-5876; follow him at Twitter.com/mercbizbreak.


text:
OSN INVESTIGATES: TWO HOUR PARKING IN GROVE
May 24, 2016 By Hilde Kate Lysiak In Selinsgrove two hour parking can last forever and businesses are not happy! An Orange Street News investigation has revealed that two hour … Continue reading
May 24, 2016 · 1 Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.


text:
- Inflation rate stood at 11.23% in August.
- Inflation rate reduces by 0.09% from August.
- Inflation rate increased by 1.05% on month-on-month basis.
- Food inflation stood at 13.16% in August.
- Core Inflation stood at 10.00% in August.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), has released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for August 2018. The CPI measures the average change over time in prices of goods and services consumed by people for day-to-day living.
The report shows inflation increased by 11.23% year-on-year, which is 0.09% higher than the recorded rate in July 2018 (11.14%). This is the first year on year rise, after eighteenth consecutive months of disinflation, since January 2017.
According to the NBS report, core inflation stood at 10.00% and decreased by 0.2% in the month of August from the 10.2% recorded in July. On a month on basis, it rose by 0.78% in the period under review. It was down by 0.03%, when compared with 0.81% recorded in July.
News continues after this ad
However, the percentage change in the average composite CPI for the twelve-month period ending August, 2018 over the average of the CPI for the previous twelve-month period was 11.28%, which is a reduction of 0.2% from 11.48% recorded in July.
News continues after this ad
The Composite Food Index rose by 13.16%, during the period under review, compared to 12.85% in July 2018. The figure shows food inflation has increased on year on year basis, for the first time in ten months. The reduction was caused by the increase in prices of potatoes, yam and other tubers, fish, bread, fish, Oil and fats, vegetables and fruits.
Also, on a month-on-month basis, the Food sub-index increased by 1.42% in the month of August 2018, it went up by 0.02% from 1.40% that was recorded in the previous month of July.
The CPI report also shows that the average annual rate of change of the Food sub-index for the twelve-month period ending August 2018 over the previous twelve-month average was 16.50%, which is a reduction of 0.6% from the average annual rate of change recorded in the month of July (17.10%).
Meanwhile, the report equally shows that there is a 11.67% increase in the urban inflation rate (year-on-year) in August 2018 from 11.66% recorded in the previous month of July 2018. The rural inflation rate also increased by 10.84%, from 10.83% recorded in the previous month of July 2018.
In the same vein, the Urban Index rose by 1.00% in August 2018 from 1.23% recorded in July, which shows a reduction of 0.23% on a month-on-month basis. For Rural Index, it also rose by 0.96%, from the recorded figure of 1.18% in the previous month of July.
The corresponding 12-month year-on-year rural inflation rate in the period under review is 13.21% compared to 13.64% in July 2018 while the corresponding urban index was 13.95% in August, which is less than 14.33% reported in July, 2018.
All Items Inflation (states)
Meanwhile, during the month under review, Yobe State recorded the highest all-items-inflation with a figure of 12.90%. Lagos State (12.64%) and Enugu State (12.52%) followed in that order, while Kwara State (8.25%) recorded the slowest rise in price during the period. Borno followed with 9.88% while Benue recorded 10.11% on a year-on-year all item basis in August, 2018.
For investors, rising inflation means higher yields on treasury bills and other government securities. For select borrowers, the rise in inflation, in theory, should lead to higher rates.
This reverse in inflation rate, after 18 consecutive months of disinflation has not come as a surprise for many economic analysts. For example, only a few days ago, Nairametrics took a deep look at key macro economic indices in the second quarter of 2018 and concluded that the Nigerian economy seems to have lost the little recovery it made, since exiting recession in Q2 2017 and that the economy is now struggling.


text:
Snap Inc. has attracted more than 3 million users to its Snapchat+ subscription service, a $3.99-a-month offering that provided early access to features like its new artificial intelligence chatbot.
The growth has exceeded the company’s expectations and includes the addition of about a million paying users in the past 11 weeks, Snap said Wednesday at its annual partner summit, held in its hometown of Santa Monica, California. The service launched last year but got a boost in February when the company added exclusive access to a chatbot, called My AI, that’s powered by OpenAI’s GPT technology.
Read More: The A to Z of Artificial Intelligence
“We never expected that we could grow to 3 million subscribers,” Snap Chief Executive Officer Evan Spiegel said in an interview. “What we essentially see is that when we release new features, that gets more people excited about signing up or trying Snapchat+. We definitely saw some nice momentum with My AI.”
Snap will soon be opening the My AI features to all users — not just subscribers, the company said Wednesday.
Spiegel said at the event that his “medium-term goal” is for Snapchat+ to reach 10 million users. The progress so far suggests Snap is making headway in a challenging area for social media companies: getting users to pay.
At Twitter, owner Elon Musk has struggled to attract subscribers to the company’s Blue service. Meta Platforms Inc., meanwhile, began testing a subscription bundle on Instagram and Facebook in February and has yet to disclose paid user figures.
Customers can also get the Snapchat+ service through Verizon Communications Inc.’s +play platform. In addition to offering the AI features, the subscription lets users customize the look and feel of the app.
Like its social media peers, Snap is looking to offset a deceleration in ad revenue. The company’s overall sales growth stalled at the end of last year, and revenue is expected to decline in the first half of 2023.
Snap is coping with the slump by cutting jobs and culling projects that are no longer seen as a priority. That’s meant refocusing on efforts that increase user numbers and revenue, as well as augmented reality technology.
Snap launched Snapchat+ in June, making it available to a handful of countries, including the US, UK, Germany and United Arab Emirates. Even with the recent growth, it remains a small part of Snap’s revenue — and its user base.
At about $4 a month, 3 million users would generate less than $150 million. Snap reported a total of $4.6 billion in revenue last year and has 750 million users.
The company is also considering ways for its users to make money on the app. Now, all users aged 18 or older can post Stories on Snapchat publicly. That’s meant to make it easier to become a creator and amass followers on the app. To lure more of those kinds of users, Snap said it will give select creators a cut of revenue if ads run between their Stories posts.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- The Revolution of Yulia Navalnaya
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- What's the Deal With the Bitcoin Halving?
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at firstname.lastname@example.org


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Send this story to a friend
Facebook IPO shares sell at $38, raising $16B
- Staff Silicon Valley Business Journal
Facebook Inc. sold its shares in its initial public offering Thursday afternoon at $38 a share, raising $16 billion in the biggest tech IPO in history.
The price values the Menlo Park social networking company at $104.2 billion, the highest valuation of any U.S. company on the day they went public.
Facebook’s $16 billion IPO ranks as the third biggest overall in U.S. history, edging out General Motors Co.'s $15.8 billion IPO in November 2010, but trailing behind Visa Inc.'s $17.9 billion IPO in 2008.
Visa sold more shares after its debut, bringing the total it raised to $19.65 billion.
Underwriters have been granted over-allotment options on about 63.2 million shares.
With the underwriters' shares included, the Facebook IPO could hit $18.4 billion.
Employees are celebrating at Facebook's campus with an all-night code-writing "hackathon," complete with DJs, food and Red Bull.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg is scheduled to ring the opening bell for Nasdaq trading on Friday, where Facebook is expected to begin trading with the symbol of FB.
Written by Cromwell Schubarth. Contact him at firstname.lastname@example.org or 408.299.1823.
- Most popular
- Silicon Valley 40 under 40: Garry Tan
- Silicon Valley billionaires usurp Oscar glam: Breakthrough Award party pictures
- 2013 in pictures: Downtown San Jose's business year
- The top 10 colleges that fuel the Silicon Valley
- Khan Academy, Coursera founders define ed tech’s 5 biggest challenges
- Tesla to unveil mainstream, cheaper model in 2015
- 4,000 race in San Jose's Santa Run: Here are the pictures
- Sexy Ferrari wins it all for Silicon Valley executive
- Silicon Valley 40 under 40: Blake Commagere
- Amid 2013 building boom in San Jose's urban core, persistent issues rankle
- Senior Construction Manager Housing Development Corporation | Salinas, CA
- Careers at Verizon Wireless Verizon Wireless | Local Opportunities
- Product Marketing Manager The Judge Group Inc | San Jose, CA
- Quality Manager - Milpitas, CA RockTenn | Milpitas, CA
- OFFICE 365 MIGRATION PROJECT MANAGER CTG | San Jose, CA


text:
By David Ponce
Primitive though it may be, walking is an endeavor still enjoyed by a few. And these sprightly urbanites will soon be able to get something in return for their efforts (you know, aside from good health): gadget-recharging electricity. The nPower PEG (Personal Energy Generator) is a device that harvests the kinetic energy of your walking and turns it into electricity, charging most devices up to 80% with just one hour’s worth of walking. Toss it into a bag along with any USB 2.0 powered device, and it’ll charge as you walk. The rep did not mention whether jumping around spastically would make things go faster.
The nPower PEG in being pre-sold on their website, and will be available in six months for $149. The company hopes that as it gets manufactured in increasingly larger quantities, the price will drop accordingly.
Full press release after the jump.


text:
|Apple previews watchOS 5|
|By Thom Holwerda on 2018-06-04 20:29:17|
At WWDC this morning, Apple previewed watchOS 5, the newest version of the Apple Watch operating system. The update adds a number of new fitness and communications features that Apple says will help Watch owners "stay healthy and connected."
As always, coming in Autumn. Also, expect a list of Apple-related news items because of WWDC.
- x86 finds its way into your iPhone - 2018-09-15
- Apple moves the iPhone away from physical SIMs - 2018-09-13
- Apple unveils new iPhones, new Apple Watch - 2018-09-12
- Will we ever get tired of buying iPhones? - 2018-09-12
- More related articles


text:
Excessive government intervention continues to brew trouble for the Texan beer business.
The Foundation’s Carine Martinez-Gouhier’s recent Austin-American Statesman’s op-ed points out how recent legislation has tightened restrictions on brewer’s direct-to-consumer sales, reinforcing a longstanding posture favoring distributors.
Since Prohibition, laws have kept the three tiers of the alcohol business strictly separated. Of the three tiers—brewers/distillers, distributors, and retailers—the government has repeatedly singled out the distributors for many privileges.
In 2013 a law was passed to allow craft breweries to sell on-location under caps for total barrels produced and sold. However, recent legislation has tightened the production cap, probably resulting in prospective breweries to reconsider coming to Texas.
Martinez-Gouhier explains the law’s consequences, “The higher costs discourage investors from providing new capital to craft brewers. Fewer brewers and taprooms mean fewer jobs for Texas workers — and higher prices for Texas consumers seeking to enjoy their favorite beverages.”
Under this new law, future breweries will have to highly limit how much of their business they can see to other manufacturers and must sell to a distributor and buy the beer back to sell in their taproom.
Breweries with existing taprooms will be grandfathered out of these new restrictions but their sales are still highly limited by other laws. These laws present no benefit to the public or the breweries but do give undue protections to the distributors. In the interest of all beer and liberty loving Texans, these laws should be repealed.


text:
Colorado gun-accessories maker Magpul Industries Corp. says it has made plans to move its operations and most of its employees to Texas and Wyoming — almost a year after it threatened to do so over its objections to new state gun restrictions.
The Erie-based company, founded in 1999, announced Thursday that it will move its headquarters to an undetermined site in Texas and relocate its manufacturing, distribution and shipping operations to Cheyenne, Wyo.
It said it has leased a 58,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility in Cheyenne while it builds a 100,000-square-foot structure in the Cheyenne Business Parkway.
In a statement hailing the planned move, Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead, a Republican, said his state has “a firm commitment to uphold the Second Amendment.”
As for the planned Texas HQ, “three North Central Texas sites are under final consideration, and the transition to the Texas headquarters will begin as soon as the facility is selected,” Magpul said.
It said it “plans on initially transitioning 92 percent of its current workforce outside of Colorado within 12-16 months and will maintain only limited operations in Colorado.”
Magpul employs about 200 workers in Colorado. A company spokesman told The Denver Post that most current employees are not likely to move to Texas or Wyoming and will lose their jobs.
Randy Bruns, chief economic development executive for Cheyenne, told The Associated Press that the area is offering a financial-incentives package to Magpul that could include up to $13 million in state grants and loans.
Magpul in February 2013 warned it would leave Colorado if the state Legislature passed a law banning the sale of ammunition magazines holding more than 15 rounds. Magpul at the time made 30-round magazines in the state.
The law was proposed after mass shootings at an Aurora movie theater and a school in Newtown, Conn., left dozens dead.
Lawmakers passed the measure anyway in March 2013— along with a bill requiring background checks for all gun sales — and Gov. John Hickenlooper signed them into law. And Magpul said at the time it would “start [to] transition out of the state almost immediately.”
But then months went by without any signs of a move. The Boulder Daily Camera reported in October that some Magpul customers have been leaving comments on its Facebook page, criticizing it for not yet leaving Colorado as it vowed.
Thursday, Magpul executives defended its process of planning the move.
“Magpul made the decision to relocate in March 2013 and has proceeded on an aggressive but deliberate path,” said COO Doug Smith. “These dual moves will be carried out in a manner that ensures our operations and supply chain will not be interrupted and our loyal customers will not be affected.”
“Moving operations to states that support our culture of individual liberties and personal responsibility is important,” CEO and founder Richard Fitzpatrick said. “This relocation will also improve business operations and logistics as we utilize the strengths of Texas and Wyoming in our expansion.”
Last April, another Colorado company — HiViz Shooting Systems of Fort Collins, which makes sights, recoil pads and other accessories for guns — also said it intends to pull out of Colorado over the new gun control laws. It has since identified Laramie as the new location for its core business operations.
Two Colorado lawmakers, both Democrats, were recalled over their support for the gun measures, and a third facing recall resigned.


text:
BENGALURU: If you’re worried about spending hours in Electronics City traffic
, here is a way to beat it — hit the pedal
A city-based startup will launch smart dock-less bicycle
sharing in 20 places. The initiative primarily aims to provide first- and last-mile connectivity and cater to shorter-distance travel.
City-based Yulu bikes
, in association with Electronics City Industrial Township Authority (ELCITA), will launch the initiative on Thursday. According to them, they are looking at software professionals, students and cycling
enthusiasts. In the first phase, Yulu said they will introduce 100 cycles.
Hemant Gupta, chief of operations, Yulu, said, “We will introduce 20 unmanned zones. We use IoT technology to create a vast network of shared dock-less bicycles that can be rented easily through a user-friendly app under the pay-per-use business model. One can get to know about the nearest Yulu zone on the app and pay online. For 30 minutes, we will charge Rs 10 and there will be 30-day and 60-day packages too.”
He added that the bicycle will carry a battery and GPS equipment will be installed to locate the user.
Rama NS, CEO, ELCITA, said they were supporting the initiative as bicycles can reduce traffic congestion by providing an efficient, clean and green solution, besides promoting a healthy and ecofriendly lifestyle to people of Electronics City.”


text:
Australian live animal exports don't have the best record
when it comes to animal treatment. In 2001, Australian animal rights activists were enraged to learn that live sheep sent to Indonesia were being slaughtered while fully conscious. The fury resulted in a live shipping ban to the island nation that lasted several years.
In 2012, after having been rejected by their original country of destination, 20,000 sheep were dumped in Pakistan and gruesomely killed.
And in 2018, several thousand sheep died of overheating as they were en route to the Middle East.
One would think, with all the controversy surrounding the live animal export industry, the companies that transport these animals would get their act together But that hasn't been the case. After the disasters in the Middle East and Indonesia comes the next wave of horror stories. This time, coming from Sri Lanka
The country has been dependent on powdered milk for years. In order to increase the supply of locally produced fresh milk, the Australian and Sri Lankan governments entered into a plan in which Sri Lankan farmers could purchase Australian "high-yielding, pregnant dairy cows." But now the Sri Lankan farmers say they've been duped into buying cows that were "overpriced, unhealthy and infertile."
In fact, they claim the cows have been dying off like flies. As many as 10% of the 5,000 cattle shipped so far have succumbed due to their illnesses or their inability to acclimate to Sri Lanka's climate.
Wellard, the company charged with shipping the cattle dispute the farmers' numbers. They say the number of mortalities is closer to 9%. That's the difference between 500 and 450 dead cows. Either number is far too much.
Wellard — like the other Australian animal exporters that have attempted, and failed, to humanely ship animals overseas — must stop shipping cattle to Sri Lanka immediately. They are not only causing the cows to suffer but the farmers who have been fooled into participating in the cow export program have also lost so much.
Until these companies can figure out how to ship animals without cruelty, the current program must be stopped. Please sign the petition and ask the Australian Government and Wellard to end the program now.


text:
Consumers are demanding more transparency to social compliance along the entire supply chain, and the Responsible Sourcing Network (RSN) has responded.
Labor abuse in the apparel industry is often associated with exploitation of garment workers; those laboring in factories to cut and sew clothing. But forced labor is also being used earlier in the supply chain during the harvest of cotton. Cotton produced by slave labor has been documented in many countries and has made its way through the global supply chain to apparel and home products sold by major retailers.
A gap in transparency currently exists between where the forced labor occurs in the cotton fields and the facilities in which different cottons are blended and spun together into yarn. On September 1, 2016, the RSN announced a new initiative called YESS: Yarn Ethically & Sustainably Sourced, a group bringing together corporations, suppliers, and NGOs to create a single industry-wide verification of spinning mills. Spinning mills are targeted because they are the first in the supply chain to open bales of raw cotton, making them uniquely able to identify the cotton’s provenance and prevent it from entering the corporate supply chain if forced labor was used in its production.
YESS aims to close the transparency gap by establishing a training, assessment, and verification process for spinning mills. YESS also assists corporations in compliance with new anti-slavery regulations, establishes an industry-wide traceability approach, and manages a global list of verified spinners.
The initiative has already been endorsed by apparel brands and retailers including Adidas, BJ’s Wholesale Club, and Hudson’s Bay Company. On the long journey towards more transparency to social compliance along the entire supply chain, the YESS initiative provides one great step forward.


text:
After yoga guru Ramdev, spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will soon make a foray into the FMCG industry. Sri Ayurveda, the FMCG arm of Sri Sri’s Art of Living Foundation will be launching nearly 1,000 retail stores. The launch of these stores shows the increasing demand for herbal products across India.
He will also be launching clinics and treatment centres across the country. The products that they will initially launch include toothpastes, detergents, ghee, and cookies. These apart from the 30-35 products like shampoos, creams, toothpaste, soaps, honey and ghee that are already in the market.
“People have now accepted ayurvedic products in their daily lives, and we believe our brand offerings are different compared to those of existing players,” Tej Katpitia, chief executive of Sri Sri Ayurveda (SSA) Trust told Economics Times.
The company that Sri Sri launched in 2003, mainly centres around Ayurvedic products. These include breakfast cereals, health drinks, oil, spices, personal care, oral care, cookies and ready-to-cook items. Consumers can even visit the company’s online portal Sattva Store if they wish to buy apparel, wellness and personal care products, food, and handicrafts, and other things.
Apart from India, the company is already present in countries like Singapore, US, Malaysia, Oman, Canada, South America, Brazil and others.The company is focussing to launch its first store in September and nearly 50 stores by November. “The aim is to have a billion dollar business in the next few years,” Chairman of Franchise India Holdings Gaurav Marya said. Gaurav is helping Sri Sri’s company get franchise partners.
After the success of Patanjali, the interest of Ayurvedic products has increased manifold and the market is likely to grow at a rate of 16 per cent during 2016-2021.
For interesting news videos from InUth, follow us on Youtube.com/InUthdotcom


text:
Get timely articles on the Commercial Real Estate sector.
Perhaps it’s a sign of harsh economic times or other underlying factors, but the Cabela’s store in Richfield that opened in 2006 has yet to do enough business to generate the sales taxes that were expected to pay off a Washington County subsidy.
The store has not met employment or sales tax expectations set in 2005, when state and county governments pooled nearly $10 million in grants mostly for road and highway improvements. However, the shortfalls have not hurt government budgets. In fact, for the past five years the retailer made additional payments to Washington County to make up for the shortfall in sales taxes.
But the situation in Richfield has not escaped the attention of Michael Aubinger, village president in Ashwaubenon, who this month is considering a public incentive package for the Cabela’s store planned near Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers. In early May, Cabela’s announced a summer 2013 opening for the Ashwaubenon store, which would be its third in Wisconsin.
“I expect them to be asking for an incentive because that’s the way of the world, unfortunately,” Aubinger said.
Aubinger said Cabela’s planned store will be a centerpiece to a broader retail development in the community, but village officials will be conservative when negotiating incentives. He said village officials plan to create a tax incremental financing district for the project to pay for infrastructure and likely direct incentives to Cabela’s.
“That’s going to be taken into consideration,” Aubinger said of the situation in Richfield. “This is not going to be an easy negotiation for them.”
Sean Ryan reports on real estate, construction and public transit in southeast Wisconsin
If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of American City Business Journals.


text:
Swintt, the in-demand developer of premier casino and live dealer content, has strengthened its position in key markets such as Canada after integrating a suite of games with popular operator, iBet.
This deal means that iBet players will be able to access slot titles such as recently launched smash hit Lone Rider XtraWaysTM, Book of the West and Sea Raiders.
Swintt is a rising star developer and has quickly earned a reputation for creating casino content that is localised for growth markets and that taps into the different player requirements and preferences. Each game combines smart math with striking design.
Swintt has also developed a powerful gamification tool, SwinttGamify, which can be hooked up to any of its games allowing operators to set tasks and missions for players to complete for rewards taking engagement and value to the next level.
David Mann, Chief Commercial Officer at Swintt, said: “We are pleased to welcome iBet to the growing Swintt family and for its players to be able to access our games for the first time.”
“With every game we aim to deliver a fun and entertaining experience tailored to specific market and player preferences.”
“We see huge potential in key markets like Canada and believe our localised games will be a perfect fit for both markets.”
“We look forward to seeing iBet players enjoy the superior experience our games deliver now they have landed in its game lobby.”
David O’Callaghan, CEO at iBet, said: “We always aim to deliver the best experience to our online casino customers and content plays a significant role in this which is why we look to partner with in-demand developers such as Swintt.”
“This deal means we can give players access to proven, quality content that has been designed specifically to appeal to their preferences.”
“We look forward to seeing players explore Swintt’s suite of games and enjoy the thrilling experience they provide.”


text:
How easy is it to steal a friend’s identity?
Equifax urges individuals to think about everywhere they share personal information as new BBC TV drama shows how easy it could be to steal a friend’s identity
New BBC TV drama ‘Trust Me’ focuses on a nurse who steals a friend’s identity to win a job as a doctor. While this is a work of fiction, identity fraud expert Equifax is urging people to think about how easy it would be for friends or associates to steal their identity by gathering useful facts from social media.
“While the lead character in the drama uses her friend’s CV to get a new job, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for her to access other personal information via social media sites”, explained Lisa Hardstaff, identity fraud expert at Equifax.
“We conducted research amongst consumers last year and found that there’s still a lack of awareness among consumers that they need to be cautious about what information they put on social media and the privacy settings they use to limit access to that information. It seems that the youngest generations are the most naïve when it comes to this.”
The Equifax-commissioned YouGov survey of 2,000 adults found that only just over half (51%) strongly agreed that sharing personal information such as full names, phone numbers and home addresses on social media websites would increase their risk of identity fraud. Just over a third (37%) tended to agree with the statement. But 5% tended to disagree or strongly disagree and 7% said they didn't know. And the numbers increased amongst the younger generations, with 18% of 18-24 year olds disagreeing, strongly disagreeing or not knowing whether sharing personal information on social media websites would increase their risk of identity fraud.
Over half (57%) of adults in Great Britain surveyed also admitted to being very worried or fairly worried about being a victim of a facility or account takeover, which is the act of obtaining enough personal details such as account numbers, passwords, usernames to bypass security on existing accounts.
“Victims of ID fraud often don’t know anything is wrong until they get an unexpected bill or see money missing from their account” continued Lisa Hardstaff. “By that time, the fraudsters are long gone. However, a monitoring service like Equifax Identity Watch Pro will alert an individual to activity on their credit report. This allows them to take immediate steps if they identify anything suspicious, to protect themselves from identity theft.
We always encourage consumers to think about the security of their personal data, treating it as carefully, as they would cash. Fraudsters only need a few key pieces of information to steal someone’s identity and open fraudulent accounts in their name. Consumers should take great care where and how they share their personal information.
EQUIFAX’S TOP TIPS TO AVOID ID THEFT
- Shred those receipts: Don’t carry lots of receipts in wallets, purses and bags, as this can offer fraudsters some of the information they need.
- Watch your wallet: Handbag and wallet thieves want your credit cards and personal documents, not your cash, so keep your belongings close.
- Leave home without your cards: Only carry the cards you need to limit the damage if you are a victim of theft.
- Don’t carry personal documents: Passports, statements and other personal documents are top of a fraudster’s Christmas wish list. Leave them at home.
- Be smart with your smartphone: Protect your phone with a password to secure all the personal information it contains.
- Don’t give away your information: Remove information from the hard drive of any old devices before selling or disposing of them.
- Use virus protection: Keep hackers at bay by protecting your devices with a firewall and virus protection.
- Monitor your credit report: Regularly review your credit file to look out for any unauthorised activity.
Equifax Identity Watch Pro includes WebDetect, which alerts individuals if their financial details are shared on websites used by fraudsters. Subscribers also get alerts within 24 hours of significant changes to their credit report. These allows them to take swift action to reduce the potential damage of fraud. The service costs £9.95 per month.
*YouGov survey, May 2016 of 2060 adults in Great Britain
For further press information, please contact: Clare Watson, Cecile Stearn, Parm Heer or Wendy Harrison at HSL on 020 8977 9132 / Fax: 020 8977 5200 or Email: firstname.lastname@example.org
Equifax, Inc. ("Equifax") powers the financial future of individuals and organizations around the world. Using the combined strength of unique trusted data, technology and innovative analytics, Equifax has grown from a consumer credit company into a leading provider of insights and knowledge that helps its customers make informed decisions. The company organizes, assimilates and analyses data on more than 800 million consumers and more than 88 million businesses worldwide, and its databases include employee data contributed from more than 5,000 employers.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Equifax operates or has investments in 24 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. It is a member of Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500® Index, and its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol EFX. Equifax employs approximately 9,200 employees worldwide.
Some noteworthy achievements for the company include: Ranked 13 on the American Banker FinTech Forward list (2015); named a Top Technology Provider on the FinTech 100 list (2004-2015); named an InformationWeek Elite 100 Winner (2014-2015); named a Top Workplace by Atlanta Journal Constitution (2013-2015); named one of Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies (2011-2015); named one of Forbes' World's 100 Most Innovative Companies (2015). For more information, visit www.equifax.com
Equifax Limited is one of the Equifax group companies based in the UK.
Equifax Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.


text:
Hours After publishing house Bloomsbury announced that they are withdrawing the book ‘Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story’ due to pressures from the Islamists and left-liberal lobby, several authors have announced that they are withdrawing their books which were to be published by the company in protest of the decision.
JNU professor, scientist and author Anand Ranganathan announced that if Bloomsbury does not take back their decision to withdraw the book which was scheduled to be published next month, he and his co-author will return the ‘substantial advance paid to them by Bloomsbury’ to the publishing house, and will not allow the company to publish their book. Ranganathan tweeted that he is appalled to see the company buckle under threats by fascists and withdraw the book. “This decision by Bloomsbury should be condemned by ALL writers and readers”, the author said.
The book Forgotten Heroes of Indian Science, authored by Anand Ranganathan and Sheetal Ranganathan, is scheduled to be published in July next year as per the website of Bloomsbury. Earlier the company had published a novel by the same authors, The Rat Eater.
Author Sandeep Deo also announced that he is withdrawing all his books from Bloomsbury. Deo said that the company cancelled the publication of the Delhi riots book on the pressure of left lobby, and it is a murder of ideas.
Sadeep Deo informed that Bloomsbury has published six books authored by him, and 9 titles are scheduled to be published by them. He said that he is withdrawing all the 9 books from the company. He also said that he will never work with the company in future. Deo has written books in several languages like Hindi, English, Punjabi and Marathi, on various topics.
IAS officer and author Sanjay Dixit joined the list announcing that he is withdrawing his book Nullifying Article 370 and Enacting CAA scheduled to be published on 20th September. He tweeted that the censorship by Bloomsbury is unacceptable, and he is ending his relationship with them. Dixit tweeted that he will be sending a notice to the publishing house withdraw his book, adding “Let them paint themselves Red”.
Not just content with withdrawing books, Sanjay Dixit also called for boycotting the Harry Potter series published by the company. “They earn ₹10-15 crores per year out of that title. Take a vow not to let that series enter your house”, he tweeted. When one user suggested to burn Harry Potter already bought, Dixit said that a bonfire of Harry Potter books can be organised after giving the company a few days to revert its decision.
Author Nityananda Misra, too, took to Twitter to inform that he has written to Bloomsbury to put on hold the publication of his book “Sunāma: Beautiful Sanskrit Names” with them.
He said that Bloomsbury has published five of his previous books and this Sunama was to be the sixth book. However, in light of the recent events, he has decided to not publish Sunama or his future books with the publishing house. He apologised to readers for the delay in publication of the book as he may now have to look for other publication house for his book.
I have five titles with Bloomsbury India and “Sunāma” was supposed to the sixth one, with several others planned. However, if Bloomsbury India sticks with its unfortunate decision, I will not be publishing “Sunāma” or any of my future books with them.— Nityānanda Miśra (मिश्रोपाख्यो नित्यानन्दः) (@MisraNityanand) August 23, 2020
Several other authors have also committed that they will never publish their books with the company.
Writer and economist Sanjeev Sanyal tweeted that he will never publish a book with Bloomsbury. Condemning the decision of the company, Sanyal said, “A few weeks ago, I had raised the issue of how a tiny cabal controls Indian publishing and constantly imposes ideological censorship. We have just witnessed one example of how this insidious control is wielded. I have not read the book in question & have no idea if it is good or bad. However, this is obviously not a quality control problem but about censorship.” He added, “I commit to never publish a book with Bloomsbury India”.
Writter Harsh Maddhusudan also announced that he will never publish a book with Bloomsbury.
While several authors have taken back their books from the company, homegrown start-up publisher Garuda Prakashan has offered to publish the book withdrawn by Bloomsbury. Saying that “Garuda Prakashan stands for bringing out books based on authentic facts”, they announced that they will take the matter further if the authors of the book contact them in the matter.
Earlier today, Bloomsbury India had decided to withdraw the publication of the book ‘Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story’ by authors of Monika Arora, Sonali Chitalkar and Prerna Malhotra. In a statement, the publication house cited a ‘virtual pre-publication launch organised without our knowledge by the authors’ as one of the reasons for its decision.
Bloomsbury India said that they had planned to release the book, a factual account based on investigation and interviews conducted by the authors, in September 2020 but they have rescinded their decision. The decision to withdraw the book came after a left-wing outrage mob led by prominent ‘intellectuals’ on social media pressurised the publication house to take the decision. The organisers of the outrage mob included personalities such as controversial actress Swara Bhasker and other eminent ‘journalists’ and ‘intellectuals’.
Note: The above article is updated to add more authors who have vowed to dissociate themselves from Bloomsbury.


text:
Sales for 2012 are expected to match or beat 2011 figures. That is the consensus of a majority of representatives from the major woodworking markets.
That optimism is backed by recent projections by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and other groups for gains in new housing activity and remodeling projects for 2012. NAHB is forecasting that new home sales will rise 18 percent in 2012.
In a recent statement, NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe noted, “The three-month moving average for new-home sales and numerous other indicators — such as builder confidence, new building activity and the razor-thin inventory of new homes for sale -- show that the market is basically holding its own, and no longer moving backwards. However, many of the same challenges that builders have cited in the past continue to pose obstacles to the market’s advancement, including buyers’ inability to sell an existing home, consumer concerns about job security, and tight credit conditions for both building and buying new homes.”
Crowe added, “The residential remodeling market has been improving gradually, mirroring the trend in other segments of the housing market. Stringent lending requirements and economic uncertainty continue to be a drag on demand, but we expect a modest growth in remodeling activity to continue throughout 2012.”
Read what the representatives of woodworking market segments had to say:
• Cabinet Sales Hold Steady: Dick Titus, executive vice president of the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Assn. (KCMA)
• Retail Environments Continue to Rebound: Klein Merriman, executive director of the Association for Retail Environments (A.R.E.)
• Architectural Woodworking Staying Steady: Matt Lundahl, Meyer and Lundahl Manufacturing Co. and president of the Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI)
• Modest Growth in 2012 for Residential Furniture: Andy Counts, CEO of the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA)
• Slight Dip for Office Furniture Industry: Tom Reardon, executive director of the Business & Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Assn. (BIFMA)
• Moderate to Good Wood Component Sales: Steve Lawser, executive director of the Wood Component Manufacturers Assn. (WCMA) and Phil Bibeau, executive director of the Wood Products Manufacturers Assn. (WPMA)
• Modest Upswing for Engineeered Panel Industry: Tom Julia, president of the Composite Panel Assn. (CPA) and Kip Howlett, president of the Hardwood Plywood Veneer Assn. (HPVA)
• Soft Improvement in Woodworking Machine Sales: Riccardo Azzoni, executive vice president of the Woodworking Machinery Industry Assn. (WMIA) and information from the Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America (WMMA)
Have something to say? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.


text:
What It’s Like to Buy a Custom Porsche From 1959
Italy’s Zagato only made nine. Here’s the story of one.
In April 2018, legendary Italian coachbuilder Zagato announced it would build nine editions of a rare Porsche. The 1959 356 Carrera Coupe was so rare, in fact, that Zagato had only recently discovered their own design existed. But by the time they publicly revealed the project, the company had already sold all nine units.
You might be wondering, who gets access to these limited-edition vehicles? Where do they end up? The Wall Street Journal recently tracked down one of these Porsche 356 Zagato Coupes and got the story from the owner, 37-year-old Benjamin Clymer, the founder and CEO of watch magazine and online store Hodinkee.
“Four years ago, I was at a watch show in Basel, Switzerland, and the coachbuilding firm Zagato was there exhibiting car designs,” writes Clymer. “I met with them and they had this project they wanted to share with me. That is when I learned about the 356 Zagato Coupe.”
In other words, when it comes to high-end, bespoke automobiles, whether we’re talking about a coachbuilder like Zagato or a marque like Ferrari, these companies will reach out to potential buyers first, rather than the other way around. How Zagato zeroed in on Clymer is not clear, but he does mention that he bought a Lancia with a custom Zagato body around 2015, so there was precedent.
The photo above is Zagato’s rendering of the car, but what does Clymer’s final product look and feel like? The Journal snapped some photos, but Clymer describes it as a 1959 Porsche 356 but with a hand-hammered aluminum body, custom color and leather interior, and driver specifications designed for him personally.
OK, now the real question: How much did it cost? As Clymer writes, “It took almost three years to build this car and it cost roughly what a new Porsche 911 GT2 RS would cost.” That’s a demure way of saying somewhere north of $290,000.
Subscribe here for our free daily newsletter.
Thanks for reading InsideHook. Sign up for our daily newsletter and be in the know.
Suggested for you


text:
Despite there currently being much will-they, wont-they debate around the possibility of a new Nexus phone, claimed insider sources have suggested Google is planning to launch the new Samsung Galaxy S5 and iPhone 5S rival ‘later this year’.
Citing an unnamed “source within Google who is close to the project,” Ausdroid has reported that work on the Nexus 6 is well and truly underway, with a 5.5-inch screen set to be the Nexus 5 follow-on’s ‘big feature’.
Although the Nexus 6 will reportedly feature a screen equal in size to that of the G3, unlike the past two Nexus phones it is not believed that LG will be responsible for manufacturing the phone’s display, or any other aspect of the phone for that matter.
Speaking last week, LG’s Communications Director Ken Hong suggested that Google had not contacted LG in regards to producing the Nexus 6.
“I know at least not yet. Normally we were informed,” Hong stated.
He added: “
While the Nexus 6 was never expected to feature during Google I/O – a show which will focus heavily on Android, Google Glass and the rise of wearables – the latest leaks offer a glimmer of hope that Google will continue its push into affordable high-end hardware soon.
However, given the less than official nature of this information, we must suggest that the latest Google Nexus 6 rumours be taken with a pinch of salt for now.
Read More: Google Nexus 8 rumours


text:
Guarnieri Trade Show Offers Taste of What’s New
NILES, Ohio — If it’s a food product found in a convenience store or gas station or concession stand, on either side of the counter, odds are it can be found at the Albert Guarnieri & Co. Trade Show.
Filling the Eastwood Expo Center Wednesday, vendors displayed racks and tables of candies, chips, tobacco, pizzas, coffee, food-and-beverage containers, thermometers and craft sodas. And while typical convenience store fare was available, what really caught the eyes of those browsing the wares – and sometimes the vendors themselves – were the new products, which some vendors were showing customers for the first time.
“My favorite is the new Dove Fruit,” said Stephanie Dattilio, customer development manager for Advantage Sales and Marketing, which represents M&Ms and Mars candies. “It has real fruit in it, no gel or flavorings.”
Dattilio’s company had two tables at the show, one dedicated to the new products Advantage carries, among them vanilla frosting Combos and Crispy M&Ms. Customers came in steady streams to the table, sometimes browsing before moving on while others stayed to ask about prices.
“It’s a chance for our customer base to come in and see, eat, taste and feel products they haven’t seen before,” said John Guarnieri, vice president of Albert Guarnieri & Co. “It’s also where vendors can introduce new products to the marketplace”
The family business, now in its fourth generation, was started 127 years as a fruit and vegetable stand near downtown Warren. A storefront followed, Guarnieri said, then the family became a wholesale supplier and 17 years ago, started its annual trade show.
“We were in the same space [17 years ago] but with far fewer booths. We’re at over 100 booths now with at least 200 manufacturers from the state of Ohio, plus Pennsylvania and West Virginia,” Guarnieri said. “It’s been fun to see the changes. We’ve grown and expanded, with food service being the biggest aspect. It’s been a good ride”
At the other end of the Eastwood Expo Center from Advantage’s booth, PepsiCo educational development manager Kim Oates showed off PepsiCo’s new Top ‘N Go bags. Similar to a walking taco, the bags are larger, thus allowing customers to top the chips – buyers can choose from Fritos, nacho cheese Doritos and cool ranch Doritos – with cheese, chili, peppers and other nacho toppings before they leave the store.
“We’ve gotten a lot of interest for the new Top ‘N Go items. Quite a few school directors are stopping by to check out our school products, mostly the oven-baked chips we offer,” Oates said.
PepsiCo, a company that works with Guarnieri to supply its products in supermarkets and convenience stores, sees the expo an opportunity to meet some of the people who sell its products.
“We have an opportunity to show off some new products, new concepts, new ideas to customers, who can then take it back to their stores,” Gates said. “It’s a great partnership for everyone involved. We’re all in a for-profit business. The retailers make more money. Our customers make more money and Guarnieri makes more money. It’s a partnership that helps everyone.”
Good Greens, based in Shaker Heights and a purveyor of what’s described as a nutrition snack bar, set up a booth for the first time. Where many of the products at the fair are typical service station fare, Good Greens are fruit- and vegetable-based and rich in antioxidants, according to Kimberly Root, “brand ambassador” for Good Greens.
“Most of the other vendors here will carry things that you typically see in a convenience store that have higher fat and sugar contents. We have a nutrition bar that has the antioxidant equivalent of 100% of your daily fruits and vegetables that are gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan,” she said.
The four-year-old company, she added, is outselling Clif Bar and Kind Bar, both nationally recognized brands of nutrition bars, and its products are sold in Marc’s and Giant Eagle supermarkets. The success, she added, has resulted in part from its displays at expos such as Guarnieri’s.
“You need a chance to show distributors everything we have to get our product in as many stores as possible,” Root said. “It’s all about getting the word out.”
For some vendors, inducing people to stop by their booths poses a bit of a challenge.
“I don’t have any food, so most of the people just walk on by,” said Stella Minkel with a laugh. “I’ve been trying to call people over and get their attention.”
Minkel, an equipment and small-wares specialist with US Foods, spent most of her morning standing next to a cushioned mat for the use of cashiers who spend most of their day standing behind a counter. Those stopping at the mat seemed impressed by how comfortable it was to stand on, but most continued on their way.
Further down the row of tables, all filled with US Foods products such as chips, sodas and sandwiches, customers stopped, chatted and sampled the food.
“That’s what they’re really here for,” Minkel continued.
Cliff Cole, regional business developer for Java Classics, based in Renton, Wash., spoke with customers about the redesign of their stores so they could install a new coffee bar.
“We can actually come in and design their store coffee bar and really bring a full experience for great coffee,” he said. “[At the expo] we can offer customers a chance to have a hands-on experience with the coffee, taste it, look at the equipment and see how it could be fit into their store.”
Whether veterans or newcomers, vendors recognized the benefits of the trade show as an important stop for marketing and business purposes.
“I’ve worked this show about four years and every year is a little different. There are a lot of good customers that come through and there’s always a good showing,” said Shawn Quinn, assistant food broker for Team Saverino in Chicago. “This is a fabulous venue. You get the store owners, who coordinate through us and help us promote our products, and the other middlemen who do a fabulous job here. It’s definitely worth it for us to come out.”
PICTURED: Kimberly Root is a “brand ambassador” for Good Greens Nutrition Bars, based in Shaker Heights.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.


text:
Gov. Reynolds Extends Public Emergency Declaration
Iowa bars and restaurants that are currently providing carry-out or delivery of cocktails and other alcoholic beverages will be allowed to continue for at least another week.
Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a new proclamation late Tuesday afternoon continuing the state’s public health emergency declaration. Her latest order extends relief to the state’s bars and restaurants, allowing them to sell alcoholic beverages for carry-out or delivery until April 7.
Public seating areas inside all Iowa bars and restaurants are currently closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Reynolds’ previous proclamation permitting those businesses to sell alcohol for delivery or carry-out was set to expire Tuesday at midnight.
Other parts of the order Reynolds issued late Tuesday provides county hospitals more flexibility to borrow money and allows Iowa corporations to hold annual meetings electronically. In addition, the governor waived upcoming certification deadlines for law enforcement officers and jailers.


text:
Kai Ryssdal: The key thing in mobile right now — what your cell phone can do for your and for businesses — is all about location. Telling people and those businesses and advertisers where you are, what you’re doing there, and who else is there. A company called Foursquare has that part down. The mobile check-in service has about 20 million users who let their social network know where they are multiple times a day. What Foursquare doesn’t have quite yet is a way to make money off all that checking in.
Forget location, location, location. Marketplace’s Stacey Vanek Smith reports Foursquare’s new business mantra is recommendation, recommendation, recommendation.
Stacey Vanek Smith: Danny Sullivan is the editor in chief of tech news site SearchEngineLand. He’s also an avid Foursquare user. And I finally got to ask something I’ve been dying to know about Foursquare users.
Vanek Smith: So why do you check in?
Danny Sullivan: Initially I checked in just because all the cool kids were checking in, right?
But now Sullivan uses it like a social network to find friends wherever he might be. He says that’s a big part of what the new Foursquare is all about.
Sullivan: It seems designed to be focused much more about what your friends are sharing and enjoying and exploring.
The new Foursquare offers personalized recommendations for cafes, bars and shops — based on where you are and places your friends have liked. Kind of a Facebook meets Yelp.
Carl Howe is vice president of research at the Yankee Group.
Carl Howe: This idea of where next, in the marketing world, we call that a lead. We’re drawing people to a new site. And that’s something a business will pay money for.
Just ask Yelp. It’s made a big business out of sponsored recommendations from retailers. Howe says if Foursquare wants to out-Yelp Yelp, it needs to build relationships with thousands of businesses.
Howe: That’s going to take a lot of feet on the street and a lot of great salesmanship.
SearchEngineLand’s Danny Sullivan thinks Foursquare’s makeover isn’t about adopting the tactics of its rivals to compete on its own. He thinks Foursquare’s trying to attract a buyer — like Facebook. Two years ago, Foursquare was riding high and spurned interest from Facebook and Yahoo.
In New York, I’m Stacey Vanek Smith for Marketplace.
We’re here to help you navigate this changed world and economy.
Our mission at Marketplace is to raise the economic intelligence of the country. It’s a tough task, but it’s never been more important.
In the past year, we’ve seen record unemployment, stimulus bills, and reddit users influencing the stock market. Marketplace helps you understand it all, will fact-based, approachable, and unbiased reporting.
Generous support from listeners and readers is what powers our nonprofit news—and your donation today will help provide this essential service. For just $5/month, you can sustain independent journalism that keeps you and thousands of others informed.


text:
Here's an opportunity to plan ahead for Camp Fire USA's BeneVint Wine Auction, which will be Jan. 28 at Charles Smith Wines' downtown tasting room, 35 S. Spokane St.
Wine and cheese tasting, a selection of desserts and live music by Jacob's Weekend are on tap during the wine auction fundraiser from 7-10 p.m., said Kaitlin Kirk, Camp Fire USA communications coordinator in Walla Walla.
Various packages to bid on include wines from Leonetti, L'Ecole No 41, Doubleback and many others, cheese tasting at Monteillet Fromagerie, a stay at The Inn at Blackberry Creek, tap dance lessons, a stay at a Hawaiian vacation home, wine tasting at Glencorrie Winery and much more, Kaitlin said.
On the evening of the event, participating restaurants will provide a "buy one meal at full price, get the second meal of equal or lesser value half off" discount when a BeneVint ticket is shown to restaurant staff. Participating restaurants include Backstage Bistro, Green Spoon and T. Maccarone's.
The $25 tickets are for sale at the Camp Fire USA office, Charles Smith Wines, Backstage Bistro, Tourism Walla Walla's Main Street information booth and Book & Game Co.
For more details, call the Camp Fire USA office at 509-525-3180 or online see www.wwcampfire.org.
Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Grant Farmer Post 992 and Auxiliary have an ongoing project that benefits military personnel serving overseas.
Anyone can help put a smile on a soldier's face with a gift box from Post 992. Items and cash can be donated to Jay Kilmer or Connie Johnson at the post, 102 N. Colville St. The basic shipping fee for one box is $11. Things that ship well include jerky, instant coffee, hot chocolate, tea bags, phone calling cards, hard candy, trail mix, granola bars and nuts, lip balm, mouthwash, dried fruit, snacks, foot powder and creams in tubes. Metal and glass containers are unsuitable. A full list of needed items is posted on the post bulletin board.
Call the post at 525-1310 for more details, including if you're seeking a place to rent for a party.
On Jan. 28, the post will host its Winter Wonderland fundraiser. Proceeds from the event will benefit homeless veterans in the area. The $10 cost includes dinner, wine tasting, hors d'oeuvres, music and dancing. For those wanting to enjoy everything but the dinner, the cost is $5. Dinner reservations should be made by Jan. 23 at 525-1310. The schedule of events is 4:40-5:30 for wine tasting, hors d'oeuvres and a no-host happy hour; 5-6 p.m. silent auction; 6 p.m. dinner; 7 p.m. live auction and 8 p.m. music and dancing. The band Shaniko is donating its services.


text:
The Epic Games Store has been giving out a few free video games each week for fairly some time now, and as is customary – the storefront has revealed its video games for the following week.
The first sport is developer Jacob Janerka’s Paradigm – a post-apocalyptic journey from 2017 that has been launched to nice crucial acclaim. The second sport is co-op journey sport Just Die Already from developer DoubleMoose Games which was launched final 12 months. Paradigm and Just Die Already can be changing the current free games on the Epic Games Store – Amnesia: Rebirth and Riverbond.
The two video games can be accessible to obtain beginning April 28 up till May fifth. The Epic Games Store has given out 89 free titles last year, together with however not restricted to high-profile releases such because the likes of Control and Shenmue 3 amongst others. Recently, Sony also invested an amount of $1 billion in Epic Games. Epic Games has additionally launched Unreal Engine 5 for builders – learn extra on that through here.


text:
Dozens of digital sharing ventures are already driving economic and social change in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and there is potential for these models to address some of the world’s thorniest development challenges.
Digital sharing is already massive, and here to stay. Make no mistake, this is not a trend. We estimate global sharing economy revenues to be $25 -$30 billion per year, and expect the global sharing economy to grow 25-30% a year for the foreseeable future.
What is the Digital Sharing Economy?
Sharing assets – physical, financial, and/or human capital –
between many, without transferring ownership, via a digital platform
to create economic value for at least two parties.
However, that doesn’t mean the sharing economy is irrelevant to the world’s poorest. Quite the opposite.
As digital sharing models grow in size and expand into new geographies, we think emerging economies are where these companies will truly flourish. Why? Because the heart of the model, sharing via technology, converts these markets’ liabilities – scarce assets and abundant labor – into opportunities.
What’s more, those in emerging markets are, as a whole, more disposed to share: 64% of people in the world with access to the internet are willing to share their assets or services online for financial gain. In India, it’s 78%. In Mexico? 79%. In China? 94% of people with access to the internet are likely to participate in a digital sharing community, given the option. Compare that to the 43% of North Americans who express willingness to participate in online sharing. On average, we estimate that people in emerging markets are around forty to fifty percent more likely to engage in digital sharing – given access to the right tools – than people in the US and Western Europe.
Let’s zero in on just one sector: digital sharing in finance, often called “crowdfunding.” Roughly 600-700 crowdfunding platforms are operating in over 45 countries, delivering approximately $35 billion to entrepreneurs and small businesses through lending and investment. To put that into perspective, HSBC, the UK’s largest bank, lent just under $1 billion to its customers in 2014. Even more interesting: these crowdfunding dollar volumes doubled from last year, and are growing fastest in Asia and South America.
The key principles that underpin current digital sharing models are potent and globally applicable. Organizations that apply them successfully can create tremendous value. Here we’ve laid out how the digital sharing economy can address three pressing development needs:
Apart from the three examples we’ve chosen above, there are many other current — and future — applications of digital sharing models, from disaster relief to peer-to-peer education.


text:
“Nafea Faa Ipoipo?” - Luxury Retail
Exquisite Paul Gauguin Painting Sells For $300 Million
Those of you who are familiar with Paul Gauguin are probably aware that his “Nafea Faa Ipoipo?” painting is one of his most appreciated works. Translating to “When Will You Marry?” the exquisite oil painting dates back to 1892 and depicts a pair of Tahitian girls.
The item was previously owned by Rudolf Staechelin and was recently sold for the staggering sum of $300 million, which makes it the world’s most expensive artwork. As for the buyer, not much is known presently, but rumors abound that it is actually a group of state museums in Qatar.
“I don’t deny it and I don’t confirm it”, which will probably fuel the rumors even further. Qatar has been known to purchase expensive works of art in the past, as it spent no less than $250 million in 2011 for “The Card Players” by Paul Cezanne.”- Rudolf Staechelin stated.